Roman Catholic Diocese of Imus

History

Through the zeal of the first missionaries of spreading the Catholic faith, they also helped in founding most of the towns of Cavite province. Among the religious orders that Christianized the Caviteños were the Franciscans, the Recollects, the Dominicans and the Jesuits. They established their first center of faith in Cavite Puerto (now Cavite City). The Catholic faith first came to Imus in 1571, then in Silang in 1581, in Cavite Viejo (now Kawit) in 1587, in Maragondon in 1611, Indang in 1655, Ternate in 1700 and in San Francisco de Malabon (now General Trias) in 1758. As early as 1614, Cavite became a politico-military province.

The province of Cavite is rich with historical significance. It had been the site of many battles and uprisings against Spain, one of which was that of 1872, which resulted in the execution of three priests: Gomez, Burgos and Zamora (Gomburza). Cavite is also where General Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed the Philippine Independence from Spanish rule on June 12, 1898, in the town of Kawit.

The province is named after its shape, that of a hook – hence Kawit, meaning hook, in Tagalog. It is geographically situated at the very entrance to Manila Bay, a location which has made it, along with Bataan on the north, the scene of many battles in the past. It is bounded on the northwest by the Bay, on the northeast by the provinces of Rizal and Laguna, on the southwest by the province of Batangas. Its capital city is Imus, with the seat of the provincial government located in Trece Martires City.

Early in the American regime, a U.S. naval garrison was stationed at Sangley Point in Cavite City after a civil government was established in 1901. Because of mutual defense agreements, this base remained in Cavite long after the country was granted its independence in 1946.

The topography of the province is gentle upward sloping towards the south, peaking in Tagaytay Ridge and Mts. Palay-Palay - Mataas-na-Gulod Range, at the border with Batangas province. Areas near the coast are flat where rice is an important crop. Fishing is another major industry in the coastal towns. The language spoken is Tagalog, which is the basis for Filipino, the national language of the country. More than 60 per cent of the inhabitants live in urbanized areas because of its proximity to Manila. Today, Cavite is witnessing a more radical urbanization as factories, subdivisions, golf courses, resorts and an Export Processing Zone (EPZA) have sprung up in the province. Tagaytay City, with its cool climate and a scenic view of Taal Lake and Taal Volcano, draws many tourists each year.

The Diocese of Imus was created on November 12, 1961. It comprises the civil province of Cavite and covers a land area of 1,287 km² (497 sq mi), with a population of 1,643,549 of which 76 per cent are Catholics. Its titular patroness is Nuestra Señora del Pilar. The diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Manila.

There are two episcopal districts in the diocese, with 11 vicariates, 56 parishes, 4 quasi-parishes, 8 pastoral centers, a catholic community, a national shrine (Our Lady of La Salette), and 3 diocesan shrine served by a total of 180 priests. Among the religious organizations are the Legion of Mary, Catholic Women's League, Adoracion Nocturna, El Shaddai, Knights of Columbus, Catholic Youth Movement and Couples for Christ.

On April 8, 2013, Reynaldo Gonda Evangelista was appointed by Pope Francis as the fifth bishop of Imus. He is the first appointee of Pope Francis on the Catholic hierarchy of the Philippines. He was installed last June 5, 2013.

Ordinaries

The list of the assigned bishops of the diocese since its establishment are as follows:

Diocese of Imus - Jurisdiction

Province of Cavite
Vicar General: Rev. Msgr. George Morales

Episcopal District of St. Matthew - North Cavite

Episcopal Vicar: Rev. Fr. Reuel Castañeda

Vicariate of St. Michael, the Archangel (City of Bacoor)

Vicar Forane: Rev Fr. Oliver Genuino

Vicariate of Sto. Nino (City of Bacoor)

Vicar Forane: Rev. Fr. Antonio Roxas

Vicariate of Our Lady of the Pillar (City of Imus)

Vicar Forane: Rev. Fr. Melencio Sandoval

Episcopal District of St. John - North-West Cavite

Episcopal Vicar: Rev. Fr. Leoben Peregrino

Vicariate of St. Mary Magdalene (Kawit, Cavite City, and Noveleta)

Vicar Forane: Rev. Fr. Dominador Medina

Vicariate of The Holy Cross (Tanza and Rosario)

Vicar Forane: Rev Fr. Virgilio Mendoza

Vicariate of Our Lady Of Assumption (Naic, Magallanes, Maragondon, and Ternate)

Vicar Forane: Rev Fr. Mario De Leon

Episcopal District of St. Luke - East Cavite

Episcopal Vicar: Rev. Fr. Agustin Baas

Vicariate of St. Francis of Assisi (General Trias and Trece Martires City)

Vicar Forane: Rev Fr. Inocencio Poblete Jr.

Vicariate of Immaculate Conception (City of Dasmariñas)

Vicar Forane: Rev. Fr. Manuelito Villas

Vicariate of Our Mother of Perpetual Help (City of Dasmariñas)

Vicar Forane: Rev. Fr. Percival Sapin

Episcopal District of St. Mark - South Cavite

Episcopal Vicar: Rev. Fr. Conrad Amon

Vicariate of Our Lady of Candelaria (Silang, Carmona, and General Mariano Alvarez)

Vicar Forane: Rev Fr. Marino Limbag

Vicariate of The Seven Archangels (Tagaytay City, Mendez, Indang, Amadeo, Alfonso, and General Aguinaldo)

Vicar Forane: Rev Fr. Allan Valero

Diocesan Seminaries

Seminaries run by Religious Congregation

Religious Men

Religious Organization

Apostolates and Ministries

Apostolado sa Larangan ng Pagkilala sa Diyos (Apostolate on the Field of Recognizing God)

Apostolado sa Larangan ng Pangangalaga sa Tao (Apostolate on the Field of Care to Man)

Apostolado sa Larangan ng Pagtataguyod sa Buhay (Apostolate on the Field of Advocacy on Life)

Apostolado sa Larangan ng Pamamahala sa Kalikasan (Apostolate on the Field of the Administration of the Environment)

Apostolado sa Larangan ng Kaayusan (Apostolate on the Field of Orderliness)

Golden Jubilee celebration

In 2011, the diocese celebrated its Golden Jubilee since its separation from the Archdiocese of Manila. The festivities centered on the theme "Tena't Mag-KA-RA-KOL" (Let's do the karakol), a pray-dance procession performed in fiestas in Cavite. The karakol spelled as KA-RA-KOL, is an acronym with "KA" for "KAhapong kay yaman" - an introspective look into the glorious history of the diocese; "RA" for "RAdikal na pagsunod kay Kristo," a call for reconciliation and conversion into the fullness of God's love by following the example of Jesus Christ; and "KOL" for "KOLektibong pagkilos," which envisioned a collective effort on the part of all Catholic faithful in the province to fulfill its mission of spreading God's word.

Prior to the jubilee year, a three-year preparation for the celebration (from 2009 to 2011) was led by then Bishop Luis Antonio Tagle, who was later appointed as the Archbishop of Manila. He led the opening of the jubilee year with a mass held at the Imus Cathedral on the midnight of the foundation day of the diocese, November 25, 2011. Among the highlights of the event was the opening of the cathedral's Jubilee Door, where all the Catholic faithful who passed through the door would be granted plenary indulgences. The Grand Diocesan Procession was also celebrated on the jubilee year on October 16, 2012, also the celebration of the anniversary of the Cathedral dedication, where the patron and patroness of every parish joined the said procession. It was presided by Rev. Bishop Pedro Arigo.

On November 26, 2012, the Imus Cathedral celebrated the closing of Jubilee Door, which was presided by Archbishop Rolando Tirona, Archbishop of Caceres with his co-presiders, Rev. Pedro Arigo, Vicar of Puerto Princesa and Rev. Teodoro Buhain, Auxiliary Bishop-Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Manila, all of those who presided are natives of Cavite. The solemn Canonical Coronation of the image of Our Lady of the Pillar of Imus, Patroness of the Diocese concluded the celebration of the Golden Jubilee. The Marian image was crowned by Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle on December 3, 2012.